title: Paediatric chronic suppurative otitis media in the Free State Province: clinical and audiological features.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a chronic infection of the middle ear cleft. In sub-Saharan Africa >50% of cases occur in children <10 years of age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the otological, audiological and bacteriological findings in children with CSOM.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective study at the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Clinic at Universitas Academic Hospital between August 2009 and December 2010. We included all children with CSOM over this period. Patients underwent ENT and paediatric examination, and were tested for HIV. Pus swabs were taken after an ear toilet for routine microbiology, fungal and Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture. We performed audiological testing after the otorrhoea had resolved.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-six children (113 ears) were included, with a median age of 4.6 years (range 1 - 12 years). The mean duration of otorrhoea was 161.7 weeks (range 4 - 572 weeks). Nine patients (10.5%) presented with coalescent mastoiditis and/or intracranial complications of CSOM. Of the 153 organisms identified; Gram-negative bacteria were present in 93 (82.3%) ears, with 94.8% of these being sensitive to quinolones. Only 1 case of tuberculous otitis media was identified. HIV infection was present in 54.6% of patients tested. There was a hearing loss in 44 (66.7%) of the tested affected ears.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a long delay between the onset of symptoms and accessing ENT services. Most cases of CSOM were due to quinolone-sensitive Gram-negative aerobes. There was a high prevalence of cholesteatoma, hearing loss and other complications in children in this study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Tiedt
authors.forename: I R T
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: U M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Hallbauer
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pieters
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joubert
authors.forename: R Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Seedat
mesh_terms: D001299:Audiometry; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013019:South Africa